Two arrests made in Farmington double-shooting

Wednesday

Jan 16, 2013 at 3:15 AMJan 16, 2013 at 3:30 PM

By Samantha Allensallen@fosters.com

FARMINGTON — Police announced this morning they have arrested two men in connection with the double shooting Friday. One of the suspects arrested was one of the men who suffered a gunshot wound during the incident on Meetinghouse Hill Road.

Police said the investigation into the incident is progressing and more arrests are immiment.

Last night, officers from Farmington, State Police, and Somersworth arrested: Stephen Roy, 24, of 4 Lords Court in Somersworth, charging him with robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery. He is currently being held on $100,000 cash bail and was scheduled to be arraigned at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at 7th Circuit Court, Rochester Division. Roy was one of the two men shot during the incident on Meetinghouse Hill Road.

Also last night, officers from Berwick, Maine, detained: Joshua E. Dionne, 27, of 34 Market St., Apartment B, North Berwick, Maine, on a parole violation and held at York County Jail. A warrant is forthcoming today charging him with being a fugitive from justice. Once he is charged as a fugitive from justice, he will be arraigned and await extradition back to New Hampshire where he will face charges of robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery.

A third suspect has been identified and an arrest warrant is forthcoming. However, the department is withholding the suspect's identification until that person is taken into custody.

Investigators from the Farmington Police Department and New Hampshire State Police are actively investigating the shooting but will not comment further on the circumstances leading up to the shooting or the status of the investigation except to say that it is progressing. Additional details will be released when it is determined that releasing this information will not jeopardize or interfere with the investigation.

If anyone has information about this incident, please contact Det. Brian Driscoll at 755-2731 x105 or information can be given anonymously by calling the department's Crimeline at 755-9797.

On Tuesday, Farmington police said the two shootings reported Friday appear to be linked to an incident at a residence on Meetinghouse Hill Road.

The Police Department said they continue to actively investigate circumstances that led to two men — a 21-year-old and a 24-year-old — sustaining gunshot wounds at 316 Meetinghouse Hill Road.

One victim was treated at York Hospital in York, Maine, for a gunshot wound to the head Friday afternoon before checking out hours later. The other victim was originally treated at Portsmouth Regional Hospital for a gunshot wound to the chest before he was transferred to Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, where he is currently being treated, according to a police press release.

The injuries are considered to be non-life threatening at this time.

Farmington police say they were notified of the incident on Saturday around 4 p.m. though the incident occurred on Friday, Jan. 11. Police Chief Kevin Willey confirmed the incident was originally thought to have occurred in Barrington, though he wouldn't say how investigators first received that false information.

Following interviews, it was determined the crime occurred in Farmington and the department then requested assistance from the Strafford County Regional Tactical Operations Unit, which executed a search warrant at the Meetinghouse Hill property early Sunday morning without incident.

Willey noted the man at York Hospital “at this point, is not cooperating” with officers. The Portsmouth Herald reported the man at Portsmouth Regional originally told officials he was shot while riding a four-wheeler vehicle near power lines in Barrington.

Willey said the next steps in the investigation will include finding witnesses to interview and gathering evidence.

“We're currently investigating and attempting to locate and interview any additional witnesses,” he said. “…There are a number of steps including obtaining and analyzing forensic evidence, witness interviews and then we'll see where the investigation takes us from there.”

Willey noted gun crime in Farmington is not common. The most recent shooting incident was reported last summer when a Farmington man accidentally killed himself while cleaning a loaded gun and falling down a flight of stairs in his apartment complex. Before that, Willey said there was an incident 18 months ago but the crime remains unsolved due to an uncooperative alleged victim in the case.

He added authorities are releasing few details in the current Meetinghouse Hill case and said he was not ready to release what kind of firearm or ammunition was used in the incident.

No suspects are in custody at this time and the investigation is moving forward with assistance from the New Hampshire State Police and the Strafford County Attorney's office, according to Farmington police.

County Attorney Tom Velardi said officials are hoping members of the public will step forward with more information on the incident.

“We want to understand what happened and make sure the community stays safe,” Velardi said. “Right now, there are questions that need to be answered.”

He noted as his office continues to collaborate with Farmington police, it is unclear what criminal charges, if any, would come out of this event.

“It's too early to tell,” he said. “One of the things we're trying to determine is really what exactly happened and if it was criminal … We're really starting from scratch here.”

Those with more information are urged to contact Farmington police at 603-755-2731 ext. 105 for Detective Brian Driscoll or to call the anonymous department tip line at 603-755-9797.